Main Documents

One year after FBI
raids on anti-war, international solidarity activists:

Stand against repression, drop the charges
against Carlos Montes and prepare for more challenges ahead

By Freedom Road Socialist Organization

On Sept. 24, 2010 the FBI launched a series of coordinated raids
against anti-war and international solidarity activists in the Midwest.
More than 70 agents of the FBI, ATF and Joint Terrorism Task Force were
involved. Also raided that day was the office of the Twin Cities
Anti-War Committee. In concert with the raids, the FBI made attempts to
intimidate activists in California, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

That day, the authorities started the process of serving subpoenas
for activists to appear in front of a Chicago-based Grand Jury.
Subpoenas mounted in the days and months following - until a total of 23
activists were ordered to appear in front of the grand jury witch hunt
headed by U.S Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Simultaneously, more FBI
‘visits’ took place in the Midwest and Southwest.

In November and December 2010, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Illinois
made threats against three anti-war activists from the Twin Cities,
telling them in no uncertain terms: Cooperate with the prosecution - or
else.

Then on May 17, 2011 the attack was extended to veteran Chicano
leader Carlos Montes, whose home was raided by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s
Department. The raid was an initiative of the FBI, who tried to
question Montes about Freedom Road Socialist Organization. He is now
facing up to 18 years in jail on a false pretext of firearm charges.

All of the above is well known to those who have followed this case,
and much of it has been covered, at times extensively, in the national
and international press. That said, it is important to recall just how
large this assault has been to date, if we are to understand the gravity
of the situation in the future.

Get ready for more storms ahead

While the future is unwritten, every progressive person should
understand there is a real danger of more attacks in the coming period.
The U.S. Attorney Office in Chicago has told lawyers for the activists
to expect multiple indictments of multiple people. A number of the
activists have had their passports seized. Very little of the property
that was taken away on Sept. 24 has been returned.

For two years before the raids, an undercover law enforcement officer
going by the name “Karen Sullivan” invested thousands of hours into
spying on, and lying about, those targeted in this investigation.

The violent attack on the home of Carlos Montes and the ongoing
attempt to put him in prison underscore the need to take the
government’s threats seriously.

A powerful resistance

The repression is one side of the coin. The other is the powerful response.

Even while the Sept. 24 raids were taking place, a strong, broad and
multifaceted pushback was underway. Activists whose homes were still
full of FBI agents gave interviews to the media. Within hours, press
conferences and demonstrations were underway to demand, “Hands off
anti-war and international solidarity activists.” In the days following
the raids more than 60 demonstrations took place around the county. In
past year, there were waves of protests, nationally and internationally,
at every important juncture in the case – of special importance are the
actions responding to the attempt to jail Carlos Montes.

The foundation of this response resides in this fact: In the face of
immense pressure and real danger, not one of the activists who was
called to grand jury agreed to go. And no one cooperated with the FBI.
The lesson is simple; those who stand up and do the right thing will
find support.

Likewise the approach of uniting all who can be united was and is
vital in building a broad defense. As it is, thousands of people in the
anti-war, Palestine and Latin America solidarity, and other progressive
movements have spoken out against this repression. So have trade unions,
civil rights organizations and some members of congress. More than 50
communist and workers parties from Cuba to Democratic Korea have
condemned these attacks.

Anyone who holds that people have the right to organize, speak out
and to from political associations has a place in this movement to
defend everyone’s democratic rights.

A clear agenda

It’s clear that that the FBI, the misnamed U.S. ‘Justice Department’ and the forces that pull their strings have an agenda.

Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, a wave of repression has been
unleashed on Arab and Muslim people in this country. This is an attempt
to extend that attack. It is aimed at people who stand in solidarity
with Palestine, including some who are Palestinian Americans.

It is an attempt to criminalize international solidarity. From
Palestine to Colombia, people want to be free of oppression. It is a
great thing that there are people in the United States who support these
struggles. The U.S. government is treating solidarity as if it were a
crime, while supporting death squad governments like Colombia. The U.S.
military kills on a daily basis in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Yemen,
Somalia and many other countries. Yet our rulers have the nerve to turn
around and say those who fight for freedom and independence are
‘terrorists.’ They are incapable of telling the truth; they make a
practice of confounding right and wrong.

Another element is the anti-communist character of this attack, which
takes aim at Freedom Road Socialist Organization. FBI documents
discovered in a raided home in May 2011 read like something written by
Joe McCarthy; “Who do you know? What do you talk about? Where do you
hold meetings? Tell us about steps taken to overthrow the government.”
It is like the calendar has been turned back 60 years.

We in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) have long worked
to build the anti-war and international solidarity movements. We are
proud of the work we have done to stand with the people of Colombia,
Palestine, the Philippines and other countries who are fighting to free
themselves from U.S. domination. It is no surprise that among the
activists who were raided, subpoenaed and questioned, there were members
of the FRSO who are longtime anti-war and international solidarity
activists, as well as others who are active in the labor movement and
the oppressed nationality communities.

Seize the time

The time is now to defeat those who want to jail activists,
organizers and leaders of the people’s struggle who are standing up for
what is just.

A sense of urgency is needed. All of those targeted have made real
contributions to making this world a better place to live. They have
done nothing wrong.

Carlos Montes is facing a very long time in prison. He is 64 years
old and has devoted the whole of his life to the liberation of the
Chicano people and working and oppressed people everywhere. Every effort
must be made to keep him free.

The months ahead are critical. The enemies of freedom are strong. We
need to be stronger. Let’s lift our voices to demand an end to the
repression. The time has come to fight back!

Freedom Road Socialist Organization is a Marxist-Leninist
organization in the United States. This website contains information
about our organization, our politics and some of our activities in the
people's movements.www.frso.org | email us | PO Box 87613, Chicago, IL
60680-0613, USA